A Charming (Extended) Family Boat Trip
by miley-avril
Summary: SPOILERS FOR 2X21 AND 2X22. Clan Charming, Regina, Rumple, and Hook set out on their search for Henry. Of course, being stuck on a boat -sorry, ship- with your frenemies/enemies/besties doesn't lend itself to smooth sailing, and mayhem is more than likely to ensue. Captain Swan, Snowing, Swan Queen, Hook/Charming bromance, Regina/Rumple shenanigans. Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1

**WELL, I GUESS I'M ON A CAPTAIN SWAN KICK. EH, THAT'S OKAY. THOSE TWO CAN HOLD ME OVER UNTIL GRAHAM RETURNS.**

**DON'T OWN IT.**

_Damn clichés they can go to Hell_, Emma thinks as Hook stares into her eyes, his one hand firmly gripping her shoulder as her breaths slow. _They really do look clear as the ocean_.

"Emma." The pirate repeats again, his voice grounding her, bringing her back to reality. Slowly, Emma becomes vaguely aware that there are five pairs of eyes on her and she slides away from Hook, leaning against the nearest wall of the ship.

"What the Hell just happened?" The blonde pants, looking to her parents.

"We went through the portal. We're in Neverland, Honey." Snow says quietly, reassuringly. With a groan, Emma rubs at her temples for a few moments.

"Okay." She says, then, more definitively, "Okay." She pushes herself up into a standing position. Hook, who had been kneeling in front of her, does the same. "Sorry about that. I don't, I don't know why I passed out." She shrugs. "I guess it has something to do with crossing worlds cause I did when me and Mary Margaret got sucked to the uh, Enchanted Forest."

"You didn't pass out, Love." James looks as if he's ready to punch Hook again at the nickname, but a touch from Snow pacifies him. After a brief pause, Hook continues, "That was a panic attack."

"A panic attack?" Emma raises an eyebrow, her tone a mix of skepticism and sarcasm with a slight scoff.

"Oh, don't look so surprised, Miss Swan." For the first time, Gold looks at least a little interested in the conversation. "You just used an incredible amount of magic and you're new at it. I think it's safe to say that takes a lot out of a person. Crossing realms is always a shock the first time."

"I just _said_, this wasn't the first–"

"We both hit our heads when we landed, Emma. We were knocked out anyway."

"No, no, no." Emma shakes her head, anxiety seeping into her voice again as she starts pacing. Hook was on red-alert. "I don't have _time_ to panic. I have to find Henry."

"And we _will_." Hook assures her, grabbing ahold of her arm. "Right now, you need to calm down."

"I _am_ calm!" The blonde wriggles out of his grasp and stomps up the stairs to the upper decks.

"I don't think that's calm." Hook mutters.

"The sad thing is, that's relatively calm for her." Snow sighs, leaning onto James. Regina resists the urge to roll her eyes at the lovesick lovebirds.

"Then I have no desire to see her when she's worked up." Hook earns himself another glare from James.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" The king asks, though his tone gives no room for argument.

"As you wish." The other man bows dramatically, following James into a cabin and closing the door behind them. Though he wants someone to come to his aid should James try to kill him, he also wants privacy. "Yes?"

"Stop harassing my daughter."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Emma. Stop harassing her."

"I don't know if you didn't see what just happened," Hook steps right into James' personal bubble, staring him down, "but I just _saved_ your daughter from herself. Besides, I would never harass a woman, Emma nonetheless. It doesn't end well for me."

"It doesn't?" James' heart skips a beat. _And Snow says she can't see any of herself in her_.

"Your daughter is one Hell of a woman… Sir. She terrifies me."

"Sir?"

"Well, I'd like to be her friend; I suppose it's a step away from enemy, but I want your permission. After all, I _am_ a gentleman."

"You also knocked her out and tried to kill her a few times." James crosses his arms.

"Please." Hook laughs. "If you're referring to our little run-in at Lake Nostos, I could have killed her if I wanted. I _let_ her win." Finally, James allows himself to relax.

"Just don't tell her that."

"It'll be our little secret." Hook says.

"Fine. I give you my permission to be… friends with Emma. Just know, no one –not even you– will ever be good enough for my little girl." Hook smiles a genuine smile.

"Maybe someday we'll revisit this conversation… I might have a different question for you."

"Oh God." James groans, almost doing a face-palm. "I know that look. You're irrevocably in love with my daughter, aren't you?"

"I thought Milah was my True Love, and I was wrong. Emma, she gave me something to _live_ for, to fight for. _She_ is sweeter than any revenge I could ever get."

"I wouldn't call her_ sweet_." James says, then sighs. "Now, you listen to me; you move at her pace, okay? And Hook? Thank you, for earlier. You were her clarity when no one else was… it means a lot. This is hard for me, to not be able to help her. So you just… make sure she's okay when I can't."

"I will."

"Rumple!" The two heard Regina angrily yell, followed by a loud thump.


	2. Chapter 2

**I'M SO SORRY IT'S TAKEN ME SO LONG TO UPDATE. I'VE BEEN PRETTY BUSY WITH SCHOOL AND WORK.**

**DON'T OWN IT.**

_"Rumple!" The Hook and James heard Regina angrily yell, followed by a loud thump._

* * *

"What the bloody Hell are you two doing to my ship?" Hook runs out of the storage closet he and James had been talking in.

"Nothing." Gold huffs. "It's what our favorite _Queen_ is doing to _me_. It seems she's throwing a temper tantrum."

"My _son_ is missing, I have every right to." Regina crosses her arms.

"I think it's kind of cute, that you two are using nicknames." James says with a smirk. This earns him a glare from the other two and a chuckle from Hook. He glances around the deck, frowning when he doesn't see his two girls. "Where's Snow and Emma?"

With an eye roll, Regina says, "Mary Margaret went looking for her."

"If I can trust you three enough not to kill each other…" James gestures to the stairs where he had seen Emma run off to.

"Go ahead, Mate." Hook says, his eyes full of understanding. "I'll babysit these two." With a nod, James takes the stairs two at a time. Instinctively, he just knows where to go. He rounds a corner and his eyes land on Snow and Emma. He takes in the sight, marveling at how Snow's arm wraps around Emma's shoulders perfectly. He's hesitant to ruin their moment, but he also wants a piece of it. Sensing his presence, Snow removes her arm and twists her body, gesturing for him to go over. Emma doesn't move, and that concerns him. He walks over and sits on the bench, which has barely enough room for the three of them.

"Hey." He says, giving Snow a peck on the cheek.

"Hey." She responds. They sit in silence for a few moments before, surprisingly, Emma breaks it.

"I haven't had a panic attack since I was Henry's age." She begins wringing her hands together. "So… I'm sorry I freaked out. And yelled at you guys. I just can't panic until we find Henry." After a second, James says,

"Here's the thing, Em." The blonde takes a sharp intake of breath at the name. "There are six of us looking for Henry. That means even if you panic for a little bit, there's still five of us. And we're a _family_, which means we take care of each other. And your mother and I will never _ever_ leave you or be mad at you for needing us."

"And you don't have to apologize for yelling at us." Snow chimes in. "We know what it's like to have your child ripped away from you." At that, Emma bites her lip, trying to keep the tears Snow had just dried minutes ago at bay. "We understand the anger and the helplessness."

"We love you so much, Emma." James reaches around his wife to grasp Emma's hand. "We couldn't convey it back in the mine, but we do. You don't have to say anything to that, okay? Cause we already know how you feel about us. You were able to convey it when you said, 'mom' and 'dad'." Emma makes a noise acknowledgment, which is all she can manage through the lump in her throat.

"Can I ask you a question?" Snow all but chokes out. Emma nods. "If we were… if we were… if we gave you up because of a different reason… say we really just didn't want you and not because you would have been cursed for eternity or killed… would you still love us just because we're your parents?"

"No." Emma says with conviction. "I… love you two… because you only wanted what was best for me. That's the qualification for being a parent. Loving your kid and wanting what's best for it. If you two were some random junkies who didn't want me, that doesn't… the word 'parents' really doesn't mean that much to me. This is really hard to explain, but I love you because you love me. Just like I loved Mary Margaret. Maybe I could've even learned to love David if he and Mary Margaret worked out. I just wish I could go to every foster house I was ever at and every bully that ever told me no one loves me and tell them that my parents really _do_ love me, and they want me more than anything and they are so sorry they had to send me away." By now, Snow and James' eyes, too, were shining, and not only with tears, but with pride and love. Their daughter had finally said the 'L' word.

"Emma…" Snow gasps.

"I'm speechless." James says. "I used to think you have my level of eloquence, but now I think you have Snow's." The brunette pulls her baby girl into a ferocious hug again, and James joins in.

"I never thought I'd understand it." Emma says around Snow's shirt. "Why someone could give me away and leave me all alone in the world. I never thought I'd ever get past the anger and the pain. Maybe it's because the same thing happened with Henry…"

"We're going to find him." Snow reiterates her earlier point before James had found them.

"I know." Emma offers her parents a half-smile. "It's what we do."


End file.
